Amour

PREDICAMENT

Hermione was hurrying down the corridor;she had been summoned by Dumbledore and she was excited to get news on the horcruxes.As she turned the corner,she bumped into someone."Am I not allowed to walk on the corridor now too,without getting rudely shoved by the Head Girl?"Professor Trelawney exclaimed,straightening her glasses and glaring at Hermione through extra enlarged pair of eyes."I'm sorry,Professor Trelawney,"Hermione apologised rubbing her forehead,"But-what do you mean?""Oh!Just now I tried to enter the Room of Requirement,"and she added aside,("to hide my bottle of sherry") "And I heard a 'Whoop!' from someone who was already there and I was roughly pushed back outside."she told her,gesturing with her hands in a hysterical way.Then she went away muttering,"Probably some boy was getting laid and didn't take my interruption well.I don't know, what this school has come to?No respect for teachers...."Hermione turned away from her and quickened her pace.I have to report this to Dumbledore.If it is what I think it is,then I'm afraid,somehow Malfoy has finally succeeded in achieving what he had been trying to do all year.......................
She held her breath till Dumbledore had finished speaking."I believe I may have found another horcrux and it is at that island cave where we had visited before,inside the pensieve ,while we were looking through Tom's memories.I'll have to gain more definite information and make all necessary arrangements,but we would have to go there in a couple of days."Hermione looked hopeful but didn't say anything.He looked at her over his half-moon spectacles."Is there something you wish to tell me?"She debated how not to sound bitchy about Malfoy and said,"Voldemort may have finally found a way to get to you."He furrowed his brow,"I don't understand..."
"I think Malfoy has found a way to get deatheaters into the castle."Hermione spied a flicker of fear in Dumbledore's eyes but it was momentary."If he has,then I'm afraid about what they might do....they will definitely try to take you down.And we can't let them take over the castle.I-"He stopped her by raising a hand,"Hermione,my dear.Don't worry so much.Even if they have managed to find a secret path to enter the castle,I think I still have enough strength in these old bones to tackle a couple of Deatheaters."he smiled at her and she sighed.Of course,I had forgotten that I was speaking to one of the most powerful wizards of all time.As she turned to go Dumbledore said,"Will you be kind enough to send Severus to me?He is another pillar of my strength;as long as he's there,nothing else can happen to me.I trust him with my life."
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Snape stumbled out of Dumbledore's office,his eyes wild,his breathing ragged,his mind failing to figure out which way to go.No...no...this cannot be...it's impossible.I can't...He remembered what happened inside Dumbledore's office:............................................
"You knew the ring carries a curse.Why would you even touch it is beyond me!"Snape said,pacing the room.Dumbledore merely looked at his blackened hand with a curious expression and twirled Marvollo Gaunt's cracked ring on his table."You trapped the curse for a long time,but I'm afraid,it's of no use anymore.You've done well,Severus."
"I wish I could've done more."Snape said furiously.Dumbledore's eyes glinted,"Actually...you can."Snape stopped in his tracks and turned to him."How?"
Then Dumbledore told him his plan.
"It should be you,who must kill me."
There was pin-drop silence during which they both took the time for the words to sink in;they were both aware of what one was asking the other to do."Would you like me to do it now,or would you like a few moments to compose an epitaph?"Snape said with malicious irony.Dumbledore smiled,"My end is near,that is axiomatic.And Ms.Granger has just been to see me to report that the Malfoy boy has succeeded in finding a secret passage to Hogwarts.And when they come,the boy would do what he had been chosen to do by the dark lord.""If you don't mind dying,why don't you let Draco do it?"Snape asked exasperatedly."That boy's soul is not yet so damaged,"said Dumbledore."I won't have it ripped apart on my account."
"And my soul,Albus?Mine?Or couldn't you care any less about a former death eater who has already murdered so many?!"
Dumbledore solemnly explained,"You alone know whether you consider this action as a murder or helping an old man avoid pain and humiliation.I ask this great favour of you,Severus,because death is coming for me,maybe within these very next couple of days,and when it does,I would rather it be you who does it rather than Greyback or dear Bellatrix."Snape was silent and he looked down at the floor."Should the boy fail,I take it that the natural successor to the job is you?You have,after all,made the Umbreakable vow.If you were to do it after all,you would elevate in the ranks of the death eaters and Voldemort would hold greater confidence in you."said Dumbledore.Still Snape said nothing but contemplated."Think about it.If not anyone else,think of Hermione-"
"Don't!Just because I love her,you cannot use my weakness to make me do anything."Snape growled.But Dumbledore looked up at him with eyes that begged for mercy."Promise me,Severus.Promise me you will do it.Give me your word that after my fall,you will do all in your power to protect the students of Hogwarts.Promise me!"Snape's chest heaved and after what felt like forever,he gave a curt nod."Thank you."Dumbledore said relieved.Snape was about to go away but stopped short when Dumbledore muttered something."What's that?"Dumbledore looked up,as if only realising he was still there."N-nothing.It doesn't concern you.It's between me and Hermione.I prefer to not keep all my secrets in one basket."Snape banged his palms on his desk,"If you require this service of me then you better tell me everything you have in mind.Otherwise I might change my mind."Dumbledore stared at him then finally sighed and said,"All right.But Hermione cannot know about this-not till it's the right time,not until it is absolutely necessary,otherwise how could she have the strength to do what must be done?"Snape slightly widened his eyes,"But what must she do?What impossible task have you bestowed upon her Albus?"Dumbledore revealed,"She must destroy seven horcruxes Voldemort created for himself,which is the only means to completely destroy him.And...I believe,the last one is...Hermione herself."There was another moment of hushed silence,where Snape's mouth dropped open."But...that cannot be..." "The night Voldemort tried to kill her and her mother sacrificed herself,the killing curse rebounded,and a piece of his soul was blasted apart from the whole and latched itself on to the only living soul it could find in front of it.A part of Voldemort lives inside her;that's why she is a parseltongue and there is an unexplained connection between their minds.As long as that fragmented soul is alive inside Hermione,Voldemort cannot die."Dumbledore explained.The world fell away from under Snape's feet.Two many emotions went through his heart,too many thoughts clustered his head."So...Hermione...she must...die?!"Snape managed to choke out.Dumbledore carried on saying how it was essential for Voldemort himself to do it and that she needed to die at the proper moment,only after all the other horcruxes had been destroyed,and that there would come a time when Voldemort would be afraid about the safety of his snake and then he should know that the end was near but Snape listened to none of it."You raised her like a pig for slaughter!You kept her alive so she could be given up like some sacrificial animal!All those hopes...all her aspirations...And mine?Us?Albus?What about us?It was you who encouraged us to get together...".Dumbledore's face grew smaller,"I didn't start it,I merely blew air to what fire was already there.Love found a way with the two of you.Don't regret falling in love Severus;Love is a beautiful thing-" "Oh,you must have been so delighted watching us happily dance around,oblivious of your brilliant strategy.You looked at us and thought,'Look at these naive creatures,they don't know that the end is so near'!Our little amour has been a nice bit of entertainment for you, hasn't it?!"Dumbledore opened his mouth to protest but Snape whipped away and slammed the door shut behind him....................................................
Snape walked the corridor in a tizzy and somehow his feet managed to carry him to his chambers.He stopped at the door,realising that Hermione would be inside.He grabbed the wall and started sobbing;his chest heaved with the silent tears,and he bit on his lip hard to stop himself from shaking.Twice he tried to turn the doorknob and twice a new wave of emotion took hold of him and he leaned away on the wall and wept.Finally he wiped away the tears,as if angry on himself for being so weak;took long deep breaths to steady himself,then took up his usual stoic facadè and entered the room.Hermione was snuggled up in the couch with a book and she looked up as he entered.He quickly turned away to pretend to do something at his desk.I can't look at her...I can't look at that innocent face,that sweet guile less smile of hers,without going into another fit of violent snivelling."I have so much to tell you,"Hermione said in her usual cheery manner and Snape thought ,And I have so much to conceal."But wait,let me finish this chapter,the story just had a mind blowing twist."she said,with her eyes glued to the pages and Snape half-smiled at the irony of it.After sometime she closed the book and said,"Don't you have that feeling after reading a book,that 'what the hell did the author just do to me?'?Well,I agree with John Keating fully.'We don't read and write poetry(literature) because it's cute.We read and write poetry(literature) because we are members of the human race.And the human race is filled with passion.And medicine,law,business,
engineering,these are noble pursits and necessary to sustain life.But poetry,beauty,romance,love-these are what we stay alive for.'"
Snape smiled.My Hermione...getting overwhelmed by pieces of literature and helping me renew my faith in love.He was going through a temendous emotional turmoil but he had to keep up appearances and be his usual intellectual self.So he quoted The Secret teachings of All Ages,"To live in a world without becoming aware of the meaning of the world,is like wandering about in a great library without touching the books."Hermione came up and hugged him but there was some hesitation in his hug.She told him about the horcruxes and how she had to go looking for them once school was over,and also that Bill and Fleur were about to get married and that they would have lots of fun at the wedding.She then stroked a finger up his chest and said smirking,"Do you have something in mind while we're at bed tonight or would you like me to take charge?"He took her hands off him,gently but firmly and said,"Um,I don't feel like doing much tonight,Hermione.Why don't you go ahead and just go to sleep and I'll join you in a minute."She searched his face and asked,"Is everything allright?"He looked anywhere but at her and lied,"Yeah...yeah..Just a little tired."She stared after him as he proceeded to change into his night-suit,then shrugged and went to the bathroom.When she came out in her innerwear and just a shirt,he was already in bed with a book and deliberately did not look at her.She jumped into bed and lay down facing away from him in a seductive way,hoping he would change his mind.But he just sighed and pulled the duvet over her to cover her body.She pursed her lips but soon drifted off to sleep.Snape put down the book and watched her,thinking that this might as well be the last time he was going to see her.He brushed a stray strand of hair off her face and filled his eyes with her image.She was so beautiful.Like the flowers she picked on her way down the field.She was like dragonflies-fascinating,yet if you're not careful enough,you're going to lose sight of her;like he was about to.She had always been like his favourite season-and by season,he meant a storm;a hurricane that left his world topsy-turvy.He could swear there was more fire in her than a dragon's bosom.All his perception of beauty were compared to dreams in front of her.He seemed to have dreamt of her and would dream of her for a lifetime.He would continue his eternal quest for love-like a wolf howling for a moonless sky.He strove to remember her smile,like a set of pearls;her laughter like a bubbling stream.He remembered her eyes,like stars shimmering and winking.He remembered the taste of her lips,like the first dewdrop on a rose petal. He remembered her blushes,whenever she caught him looking at her.She didn't say a word but she was magic.
He gave a long,melancholic smile.How much can change within a difference of a single night...last night we were dwelling in bliss and now........
She is going to hate me.She would rue the day she fell in love with Severus Snape.But it's not going to matter...nothing is ever going to matter.Because...she will not be alive....and neither will I.